PHZ 5355: High Energy Physics II

Lectures: Tu-Th, 9:30-10:45, in HTL 218.

Lecturer: Prof. Laura Reina, 510 Keen Building, 644-9282, e-mail: click here

Office Hours: Tuesday, from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
The most efficient way to contact me outside office hours is by e-mail. If you need to see me in person, you should make an appointment.

Text:

There is no textbook for this class. The material covered in this course touches on a very broad spectrum of particle-physics topics that are addressed in various monographic books, review articles, and research papers. Some background reference books will be listed on the course web page and detailed references for each topic covered in class will be given to the students during lectures. If necessary, copies of the Professor's notes can be made available.

Topics and Objectives

The main focus of this course will be on the physics of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). At this point in time this is indeed a very natural way to start discussing the most relevant open issues in High Energy Physics. The main goal of the LHC has been to explore avenues beyond the Standard Model (SM) of particle physics, starting from probing the mechanism responsible for the breaking of the SM electroweak gauge symmetry. The discovery of a Higgs-like particle in Summer 2012 is by far the most exceptional discovery of the last several decades in particle physics and deserves all our attention since different realization of the SM gauge-symmetry breaking are at the hart of all theories beyond the SM. Indeed, the discovery of a Higgs-like particle is already the discovery of new physics, because it gives us a firm point on the map of the multitude of theories that have been so far proposed to bridge the SM to its extensions.

We will indeed take off by reviewing the SM and the breaking of the electroweak symmetry as implemented in the Higgs mechanism. We will then spend some time exploring the theoretical implications of the discovery of a SM Higgs-like particle and we will then move to explore possible directions of new physics compatible with such discovery. At each stage we will introduce the necessary theoretical background and substantiate our discussion with experimental evidence when available. More in-depth studies of specific topics will be left to a series of seminars to be presented by the course participants during the last few weeks of class.

Here is a summary of the topics covered in class lecture by lecture:

Date Topics covered Suggested references
08/27 Syllabus. Role of symmetries in Particle Physics: a review. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee]
08/29 Local symmetries and their realization. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee]
09/03 Spontaneous symmetry breaking. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee]
09/05 Spontaneous symmetry breaking and gauge symmetries: the Higgs mechanism. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee], [Wel,Rei,Ple]
09/10 The Standard Model: EW symmetry breaking and Higgs sector. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee], [Wel,Rei,Ple]
09/12 The Standard Model: EW symmetry breaking and gauge interactions. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee], [Wel,Rei,Ple]
09/17 The Standard Model: fermionic sector, gauge currents. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee], [Wel,Rei,Ple]
09/19 The Standard Model: fermion masses, neutrino masses. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee], [Wel,Rei,Ple]
09/24 The Standard Model: flavor mixing, flavor physics. [Pes,Qui,Ram,Sre,Wei,Zee]
09/26 The Standard Model: discussion of topics for in-depth studies.
10/01 The Standard Model: perturbative unitarity, bounds on Higgs boson mass. Goldstone-boson equivalence theorem. [Pes,Wei], [Wel,Rei,Ple]
10/03 The Standard Model: gauge fixing, R-csi gauges. [Pes,Wei], [Wel,Rei,Ple]
10/08 The Standard Model: renormalization and quantum effects on physical observables. [Pes,Wei], [Wel,Rei,Ple]
10/10 The Standard Model: perturbativity,triviality, and vacuum stability constraints. [Wel,Rei,Ple]
10/15 EWSB: going beyond the Standard Model. [Wel,Rei,Ple]
10/17 Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Superconductivity (Daniel Zeuch)
10/22 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: Two Higgs Doublet Models. [Wel,Rei,Ple]
10/24 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: Two Higgs Doublet Models. [Wel,Rei,Ple]
10/29 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: Two Higgs Doublet Models. [Wel,Rei,Ple]
10/31 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: Introduction to SUSY [Mar,Ter]]
11/11 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: SUSY algebra, SUSY representations [Mar,Ter]
11/12 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: Lagrangian for a chiral supermultiplet, the free Wess-Zumino model [Mar,Ter]
11/14 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: Lagrangian of a chiral supermultiplet, commutators of SUSY transformations, auxiliary fields [Mar,Ter]
11/19 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: the interacting Wess-Zumino model [Mar,Ter]
11/21 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: Lagrangian of gauge supermultiplet, the MSSM. [Mar,Ter]
11/26 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: MSSM with soft breaking terms. [Mar,Ter]
12/03 EWSB beyond the Standard Model: scalar Lagrangian of the MSSM and EW symmetry breaking. [Mar,Ter]
12/04 Baryogenesis (Steve Honeywell, Keen 503, 1:00-2:15 p.m.). Notes
12/05 Anomalies in QFT (Chris Zeoli, regular class time and location). Notes
12/06 Dark Matter (Jordon Adams, Keen 503, 9:00-10:15 a.m.). Slides
12/06 Higgsogenesis (Alex Noble, Keen 503, 2:00-3:15 p.m.). Notes
12/12 Little Higgs Models (Mozammel Hussain, Keen 503, 10:00-11:15 a.m.). Notes
12/12 Aspects of Neutrino Physics (Ajeeta Kathiwada, Keen 503, 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). Notes
12/13 SUSY particle spectrum (Sam Bein, Keen 503, 12:30-1:45 p.m.). Notes
12/13 SUSY breaking (Arka Santra, Keen 503, 2:00-3:15 p.m.). Notes

The following books in Quantum Field Theory are excellent references for most if not all the topics covered in class:
A perfect and very up-to-date reference for the theiretical fundations of the Standard Model of particle physics an its phenomenological implications can be found in:
The following book is an excellent reference for Supersymmetry:
In the following you will find listed a series of lectures and/or review articles that you can find on the archive of HEP preprints. They can be very useful to review and complement what we discuss in class.

Course format and student responsibilities

The course is based on student attendance and participation. There is no textbook, since there is no good reference for all the topics that will be covered in the course. However a rich bibliography will be suggested for each topic covered in class and the students are invited to refer to it for their learning and understanding.

There is no homework assigned, although problems or questions will be proposed from time to time. They do not have to be returned nor graded, but only used for guidance and understanding. Early on in the semester the students will be presented with a series of topics for in-depth studies. The final exam will consist of a seminar during regular class time on a topic, chosen individually by each student, among the ones proposed. Talks may be in any format (blackboard, transparencies, a combination of the two). No written report is due.

Exams and Grades.

A student's grade will be based on attendance, participation, and the final presentation of a seminar about one of the in-depth studies proposed. The seminars will take place during the last few weeks of the semester, and agreed upon between the students and the instructor. Each student is expected to have understood the topic he/she will present and be able to present it clearly and consistently, answering questions that may be raised.

Barring emergencies, the matters leading to a possible excused absence should be discussed with the instructor well in advance.

Attendance and Absence

Regular, responsive, and active attendance is highly recommended. A student absent from class bears the full responsibility for all subject matter and information discussed in class. Other situations are discussed under ``University Attendance Policy'' below.

University Attendance Policy

Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holidays, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.

Academic Honor Policy

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University’s expectations for the integrity of students’ academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to “... be honest and truthful and ... [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University.” (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://dof.fsu.edu/honorpolicy.htm) The policy is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility 1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student's own work, 2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the University community, and 3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the University community.

Americans with Disabilities Act

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:

Student Disability Resource Center
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu
http://www.disabilitycenter.fsu.edu

Syllabus Change Policy

Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.

Laura Reina
Last modified: Tue Aug 30 1:25:45 EST 2013